American flag flying at half staff against a blue sky

Half-Staff Notification

Please be advised that Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has ordered that the United States of America flag and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings beginning December 29, 2024, until January 28, 2025, in honor of the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away Sunday.

Flag Protocol

The decision to lower the United States and Commonwealth of Massachusetts flags to half-staff as a show of respect and honor for an individual, usually at the time of their passing, rests with the President of the United States and State Governors, not the Town.

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Bureau of the State House emails the Town and other State managed facilities. If you would like to receive half-staff notifications directly from the Commonwealth, send a blank email to subscribe-bsb-halfstaffnotification@listserv.state.ma.us.

The United States Flag Code, which establishes advisory rules for the display and care of the United States flag, dictates that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff (or half-mast, on ships) when directed by the President of the United States or a State Governor. The Flag Code specifies that the flag should remain at half-staff for thirty days in mourning for the death of the current or former President of the United States.

The Town has adopted a local Flag Flying Policy in addition to following the Flag Code.

Presentation & Public Forum: Proposed Renovations of the CFAL

Don’t miss the presentation of the Revised Schematic Design with proposed renovations and upgrades at the Center for Active Living, 193 Stony Hill Road, during a joint meeting of the Select Board and Council on Aging Board of Directors on Tuesday, January 7th at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road.

After the presentation, you’ll have your chance to provide input and ask questions in a Public Forum. Participation will be available in-person and remotely through the link in the meeting’s posted agenda. The meeting will be broadcast on Xfinity channel 1072, live streamed through the Town’s website and YouTube Channel, and will thereafter be available through Chatham TVs archive for viewing by those unable to participate on the 7th.

Revised Schematic Design and cost estimates of the proposed renovations and upgrades are posted to the project’s website for review in advance of the meeting.

If you are unable to participate in the Public Forum but wish to submit comments on the schematics, cost estimates, and/or the presentation, email them to communityforum@chatham-ma.gov by 12 noon on January 10th for the Select Board’s consideration in a follow-up discussion at its January 14th meeting.

Restrooms Closing for Renovations

The public restrooms behind the Town Offices at 549 Main Street will close for renovations to address identified ADA access improvements beginning Tuesday, January 14th.

The work area will be cordoned off by a construction area perimeter fence restricting pedestrian and vehicle access behind Town Hall through the end of April 2025. The construction fence will close direct access behind the building from both the Cross Street curb cut and the 549 Main Street parking lot.

The public restrooms in the Stage Harbor Road parking lot (behind the Orpheum Theater) will remain open for the public’s use during construction and public restrooms are available in the Community Center and at the Municipal Fish Pier during regular operating hours.

Annual Town Meeting Milestones

If you have turned the page on a new calendar for 2025, take a minute to enter a few key dates in the lead up to the Annual Town Meeting:

January 21st - Town Manager's FY2026 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets presented to Select Board
March 11th - Suggested deadline for submission of Citizen Petitioned articles for the Annual Town Meeting
March 18th – Closing of the Annual Town Meeting warrant by the Select Board
April 30th – Last day to register to vote in the Annual Town Meeting & Election
May 10th – Annual Town Meeting, 11 a.m., Monomoy Middle School Gymnasium, 425 Crowell Road. Note: this is a Saturday!
May 15th – Annual Town Election, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Community Center, 702 Main Street

The Select Board will be reviewing articles for inclusion on the Annual Town Meeting warrant and voting their recommendations on each during its regularly scheduled weekly meetings on Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., beginning in January until the warrant closes on March 18th. The Finance Committee will also be reviewing articles at its meetings during this timeframe.

Citizen Petitioned Articles for 2025 Annual Town Meeting

Citizen Petitioned articles are the mechanism that allows a resident to place an item on the Town Meeting warrant for discussion and vote. This process ensures that citizens have a direct means to bring issues of concern or proposals to the attention of voters, the Town's legislative body.

If you are considering submitting a citizen petitioned article, contact the Town Manager's Office for assistance at 508-945-5105, or stop by 549 Main Street, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

Petitioned articles require the signatures of a minimum of 10 registered voters, but it is recommended that additional signatures are gathered in case some are not verifiable by the Town Clerk due to unregistered status, incorrect voting address, or illegibility.

The text of the proposed article must be included on each signature page of the petition. A fillable petition form/template is available on the Town’s website. An electronic version of the article’s text is requested to ensure no errors are made in transcription.

Once a valid petition is received and signatures verified, the proposed article must be included in the warrant for the Town Meeting.

Petitions should be submitted to the office of the Town Manager by the suggested deadline of March 11th to allow time for signature verification, review by Town Counsel to ensure it complies with State law and is appropriately worded for vote, and to be included on the Select Board’s agenda for review and vote of recommendation prior to the warrant being closed at the conclusion of its March 18th meeting.

Town seal with the silhouette of a speaker at a podium in the center

Upcoming Public Hearings

The Select Board will hold the following public hearings beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the large meeting room at the Town Office Annex, 261 George Ryder Road.

January 14th

To consider a petition from Verizon New England Inc. and NSTAR Electric d/b/a Eversource Energy to place one (1) jointly owned pole, P.30.25, on the northerly side of Main Street to a point approximately 60' northwesterly from existing pole, P.30.50, and to a point approximately 37' southeasterly from existing pole. P.30. This additional pole is necessary to upgrade services for 365 Main Street.

To consider a petition from Verizon New England Inc and NSTAR Electric d/b/a Eversource Energy to install one (1) JO pole P.14.5 on the westerly side of George Ryder Road (approximately 246 George Ryder Road) to a point approximately forty-one (41) feet northeasterly of existing pole, P.14.

To consider the installation of one additional stop sign with reflective tape on the pole to be placed on the opposite corner of the existing stop sign on Sam Ryder Road at its intersection with Main Street/Route 28.

To consider the transfer of the Annual All Alcoholic Beverages hotel license from Inn Partners LLC d/b/a The Inn at 359 Main, Jeff Ippoliti, Manager, to Chatham Inn Partners LLC d/b/a Chatham Inn, Adam Votaw, Manager, for the business located at 359 Main Street.

All interested parties are encouraged to participate in-person or through the link in the posted agenda.

strand of holiday lights with a bulb burnt out

Recycle Holiday Lights at Transfer Station

Don’t throw those broken or unwanted holiday lights in the trash – recycle them at the Transfer Station.

The Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and AmeriCorps Cape Cod have partnered with all 15 Cape towns to offer free holiday lights recycling through January. Rope lights, mini lights, and C7 and C9 bulbs are all accepted but please, no lights attached to artificial trees or wreaths or lighted decorations such as stars, angels, or other fixtures.

The Mainsheet

The name of our e-newsletter was selected from submissions by our community.
In nautical terms a mainsheet is the line connected to the boom which allows a sailor to control the speed of a boat. We think that is fitting for an e-newsletter that can be used to quickly send out important information to our community or at a more leisurely rate for less pressing matters. It reflects Chatham’s maritime history, is reminiscent of the front page of a newspaper, and it is a fun play on Main Street, where you go to be part of all that is happening in Town!

Subscribe to The Mainsheet

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